Chance device



March 1, 1966 w. G. CHAMBERLIN 3,237,949

CHANCE DEVICE Filed Jan. 30, 1964 Fle ..fl

1 Jul sitlkAL FIG FIG

INVENTOR.

N L R E B M A H C G M M L H W ATTORNE YS 3,237,949 CHANCE DEVICE Wiliiam G. Chamherlin, Wall St, Seattle, Wash. Filed .Fan. 31), 1964, Ser. No. 341,249 8 tClairns. (Cl. 273-144) This invention relates to games and game playing devices. More particularly, it relates to a device for playing a game that simulates, to some extent, the card game of poker.

More specifically stated, the present invention resides in the provision of a game device comprising a small rectangular housing of pocket size, containing a panel on which characters and numerals, corresponding to those employed on cards used for playing poker, are applied and between which panel and a housing wall, a plurality of balls are confined and which may be allowed to roll freely in the housing when the panel is moved free therefrom, and are then caused to be clamped and held in various positions, in registration with characters and letters on the panel, when the panel is caused to be pressed thereagainst.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a game device of the character above stated, for amusement, entertainment and competition.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a game device that can be made in a size convenient for carrying in the pocket or held in the hand for game playing, and which devices may be used individually by the various persons in a group for playing the game.

Further objects and advantages of the invention reside in the various parts employed in the device; in their details of construction and in their manner of use, as will hereinafter be described.

In accomplishing the various objects and advantages of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present game device showing its open front or top side.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 1, showing its back side.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmental front corner portion of the device showing the character panel as contained in the housing, this View being taken on a line 44 in FIG. 2.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The present device is designated in its entirety by reference number and, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, it comprises a rectangular housing 12 having a length of approximately 4 inches, a width of about 2 /2 inches and a front to back thickness of about A of an inch; these dimensions not being critical but may be changed to a certain extent. The back side of this housing is closed by a fiat fixed wall 13 and in its front wall, it has a rectangular opening 14 that is defined within surrounding flanges 15, integral with the side end walls as will be understood by reference to FIG. 3.

Fitted loosely in the housing 12 is a rectangular panel 16 of transparent plastic, or the like, that along its opposite longitudinal edges rests upon spring wires or strips 1717 of arched or undulatory formation that are contained in the housing between the panel 16 and back wall flanges as shown in FIG. 3. Also, confined between the back wall 13 and panel 16 is a plurality of balls 18 of steel, plastic or other suitable material which may be of uniform or assorted colors. When the housing is in an inverted position as in FIG. 3, the spring strips 1717 disposed on flanges 15 along opposite side walls, act to 3,237,949 Patented Mar. 1, 1966 ice hold the panel firmly against the balls and the balls against wall 13.

The panel 16 is formed centrally with a perpendicular stem or button 20 that projects slidably through a hole 21 in the wall 13 and outwardly therefrom. It is further to be observed by the showing of the panel 16 in FIG. 3, that it is formed on its stem-mounting back or inner surface with transverse and longitudinal rows of shallow depressions which may take the form of spherically curved seats 24 in which the balls 18 employed may be promiscuously seated when allowed to roll free between panel and wall 13 and then held seated when the panel is actuated against them by the springs 17. As presently made, there are pockets in the panel and seven balls are used in playing.

It is further to be explained that one the front face of the panel 16, the letter and numeral characters involved in the game are presented in registering coincidence with the seats 24 on its back face. This relationship has been illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein it will be noted that the characters are formed by a reverse lettering technique so that the areas defining the characters are transparent and the background areas therebetween are opaque. As illustrated by the character 4 in FIG. 4, the transparent nature of the characters makes it readily apparent which of the characters have the balls 18 in registration therewith. In this regard, it is preferred that the back wall 13 be opaque.

Assuming that the present game devices are as described, the game may be played in the following manner: Each player holds one of the devices with its face downward as in FIG. 3 so that the numbered panel 16 is out of the range of vision of all players. Then while the game devices are still inverted, each player in turn makes a selection of his hand by pressing the panel 16 of his game device in such manner as to release the balls for rolling free in the housing. While they are released he shakes the housing to cause the distribution of the balls over the pocketed surface of the panel. Then he releases the panel to allow it to be seated by spring 1717 against the balls to clamp them against the bottom wall of the housing.

After all selections have been made, each player turns his device upright so that he may view the numbered panel 16 and then makes a bid or wager based on the number and letter selections identified by a designated number of the seated balls.

The rules for playing a selected game are not especially important in the use of the device as it may be used for the playing of various games according to established rules. It is in the means for making the character selections that the important feature of the invention resides.

Obvious modifications can be made in the game device without departing from the invention. For example, the characters and seats 24 can be provided on the stationary wall 13 rather than on the movable panel 16, whereupon the wall 13 becomes the face of the device rather than the back.

What 1 claim, is:

1. A game device of the character described comprising a closed housing with a stationary panel and a movable panel that are in parallel spaced relation, one of said panels having a plurality of shallow pockets formed therein opening toward the other of said panels and said one panel containing various externally viewable game characters registering with respective of said pockets, a plurality of balls of like size confined in the housing between said panels, there being more pockets than balls spring means in said housing acting against said movable panel to urge it against said balls and clamp them in random of said pockets, manual means operatively associated with said movable panel to move the latter bodily away from said stationary panel in opposition to said spring means while maintaining said parallel relation to thereby release the balls for free rolling between said panels when the pocketed panel is on the bottom of the device, whereby said balls will be clamped in random of said pockets when said manual means is released with the pocketed panel still on the bottom, the balls being viewable through said pocketed panel when the device is turned over to reveal the characters uppermost whereby the characters corresponding to the pockets occupied by the balls are designated.

2. The device of claim 1 in which said manual means comprises a button attached to said movable panel and extending through an opening in said stationary panel.

3. The device of claim 1 in which said housing has a pair of spring seats opposing the outer face of said movable panel, and said spring means is positioned between said spring seats and said outer face.

4. The device of claim 1 in which said housing has a pair of elongated spring seats opposing the outer face of said movable panel, and said spring means comprises a pair of undulatory springs positioned between said spring seats and said outer face of the movable panel.

5. The device of claim 1 in which the panel area of said one panel which is occupied by said characters is transparent and the panel area of said one panel surrounding said characters is relatively opaque.

6. The device of claim 5 in which the panel which does not contain the pockets and characters is opaque.

7. The game device of claim 1 in which said movable panel has said pockets and characters, said housing has a pair of elongated opposed flanges opposing the outer face of said movable panel, and said spring means comprises a pair of arched springs seated between said flanges and said movable panel.

8. The game device of claim 7 in which the movable panel area defining said characters is transparent and in which the rest of said movable panel area and the area of the stationary panel behind said characters is relativelv opaque.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 346,453 8/1886 Baldwin 273145.5 X 954,070 4/1910 Zschau 273145.3 3,095,655 7/1963 Berglund et a1. 273-139 X FOREIGN PATENTS 353,523 5/1922 Germany. 1,094,170 12/ 1960 Germany.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A GAME DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING A CLOSED HOUSING WITH A STATIONARY PANLE AND A MOVABLE PANEL THAT ARE IN PARALLEL SPACED RELATION, ONE OF SAID PANELS HAVING A PLURALITY OF SHALLOW POCKETS FORMED THEREIN OPENING TOWARD THE OTHER OF SAID PANELS AND SAID ONE PANEL CONTAINING VARIOUS EXTERNALLY VIEWABLE GAME CHARACTERS REGISTERING WITH RESPECTIVE OF SAID POCKETS, A PLURALITY OF BALLS OF LIKE SIZE CONFINED IN THE HOUSING BETWEEN SAID PANELS, THERE BEING MORE POCKETS THAN BALLS SPRING MEANS IN SAID HOUSING ACTING AGAINST SAID MOVABLE PANEL TO URGE IT AGAINST SAID BALLS AND CLAMP THEM IN RANDOM OF SAID POCKETS, MANUAL MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID MOVABLE PANEL TO MOVE THE LATTER BODILY AWAY FROM SAID STATIONARY PANEL IN OPPOSITION TO SAID SPRING MEANS WHILE MAINTAINING SAID PARALLEL RELATION TO THEREBY RELEASE THE BALLS FOR FREE ROLLING BETWEEN SAID PANELS WHEN THE POCKETED PANEL IS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE DEVICE, WHEREBY SAID BALLS WILL BE CLAMPED IN RANDOM OF SAID POCKETS WHEN SAID MANUAL MEANS IS RELEASED WITH THE POCKETED PANEL STILL ON THE BOTOM, THE BALLS BEING VIEWABLE THROUGH SAID POCKETED PANEL WHEN THE DEVICE IS TURNED OVER TO REVEAL THE CHARACTERS UPPERMOST WHEREBY THE CHARACTERS CORRESPONDING TO THE POCKETS OCCUPIED BY THE BALLS ARE DESIGNATED. 